Apollo.io vs Clay
Apollo.io and Clay are both sales engagement & outbound tools aimed at small businesses and enterprise. Apollo.io costs less, from $59/mo versus $185/mo for Clay. Both have a free plan.
B2B contact database with sequences and dialer
Data enrichment and research automation for GTM
| Pricing | Freemium · $59 | Freemium · $185 |
| Starting price | $59/mo | $185/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | 14 days |
| Built for | Small businesses, Enterprise | Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | US · 2015 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Apollo.io if
Startups and SMB sales teams who need data and outreach without ZoomInfo budgets.
- Data plus engagement in one affordable tool
- Generous free tier
- Fast prospect list building
Look elsewhere if: Enterprises needing highest-accuracy phone data or complex orchestration (Clay + Outreach).
Choose Clay if
GTM operations and outbound teams with volume and a willingness to learn.
- Dramatically better enrichment coverage via waterfalls
- AI research personalization at scale
- Flexible, spreadsheet mental model
Look elsewhere if: Solo founders who need a simple list (Apollo) or teams without ops capacity.
Apollo.io vs Clay pricing
Apollo.io
- Free$0Light usage, limited credits and contact database
- Basic$59/user/mo$49/mo billed annually; email sequencing, core integrations
- Professional$99/user/mo$79/mo billed annually; AI features, dialer, call recording
- CustomCustomCustom volumes, SSO, advanced security, API access
Clay
- Free$0500 actions and 100 data credits per month
- Launch$185/mo$167/mo billed annually; 15K actions, 2.5K data credits
- Growth$495/mo$446/mo billed annually; 40K actions, 6K data credits
- EnterpriseCustom100K+ data credits, 200K+ actions, annual contract
Apollo.io · Key features
- Searchable database with 65+ filters and buying intent
- Email sequences with A/B tests and deliverability tools
- Dialer, call recording and conversation intelligence
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn and websites
- CRM enrichment and two-way sync
- AI research, writing and workflows
Cons
- Mobile number accuracy varies
- Credit limits on higher-value data
- Deliverability depends on your setup
Clay · Key features
- Waterfall enrichment across 100+ data providers
- Claygent AI agents for custom web research
- Formulas, conditional logic and scoring
- CRM and sequencer integrations with two-way sync
- Signals: job changes, hiring, funding, tech installs
- Templates and shared workspaces
Cons
- Credit costs add up quickly
- Steep learning curve
- Easy to build fragile tables
Apollo.io vs Clay: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Clay?
Apollo.io starts at $59/mo and Clay at $185/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Apollo.io and Clay have a free plan?
Yes, both Apollo.io and Clay have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.